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Why this matters
Great elicitation still fails without validation. As a Business Analyst, you must ensure requirements are correct, feasible, testable, and agreed by the right people. Real tasks you will encounter:
- Run a review session to confirm scope before development starts.
- Resolve conflicts between departments (e.g., Sales vs. Operations) on a requirement.
- Rewrite vague requirements into testable acceptance criteria.
- Confirm non-functional needs (security, performance) early to avoid costly rework.
- Record decisions and get sign-off so the team can move forward confidently.
Concept explained simply
Requirements validation is the process of confirming that each requirement reflects real stakeholder needs, can be built within constraints, and can be tested. You align expectations, remove ambiguity, and secure decisions.
Mental model: The NFT Triangle
Picture each requirement sitting in a triangle of Needs, Feasibility, and Testability (NFT):
- Needs: Is it traceable to a clear business objective and stakeholder?
- Feasibility: Is it realistic within constraints (time, budget, tech, regulatory)?
- Testability: Can QA or a user verify it with objective criteria?
Core steps to validate with stakeholders
- Prepare
- Bring artifacts: requirement list with IDs, user stories, mockups, data definitions, draft acceptance criteria.
- Invite the right people: decision-maker, subject matter experts, engineering/QA, and impacted operations.
- Define decision rules: who decides, how conflicts are resolved, and what constitutes sign-off.
- Set a checklist (see below) and timebox the session.
- Run the session
- Start with the business goal and out-of-scope items.
- Walk through each requirement: show ID, current wording, and acceptance criteria.
- Ask validation questions: Who needs this? What scenario proves it’s done? What risks or constraints apply?
- Capture decisions, issues, and action owners in real-time.
- Follow up
- Revise requirements and acceptance criteria.
- Run quick impact analysis for changes (dependencies, timeline).
- Share a succinct summary for confirmation and record sign-off.
Stakeholder validation checklist
Worked examples
Example 1 — Rewriting a vague requirement
Original: "The page should load fast."
Validation outcome:
- Need: Faster page supports conversion goal.
- Feasibility: Tech lead confirms within current infra, except for legacy report page.
- Testability: Rewrite as a measurable NFR.
Rewritten: "Homepage and product listing pages must have a Largest Contentful Paint ≤ 2.5s at p75 on 4G mobile for logged-out users."
Decision: Accepted for MVP; legacy report page excluded (tracked as future item).
Example 2 — Conflicting stakeholder priorities
Context: Sales wants optional fields to be mandatory; Support fears data entry friction.
Facilitation: Use business goal (increase qualified leads) and data on drop-off rates. Propose conditional requirement.
Validated requirement: "Make Company Size mandatory only if Lead Source = 'Enterprise Event'."
Decision rule & record: Product Owner decides; include a 2-week experiment to monitor drop-off.
Example 3 — Making acceptance criteria testable
User story: "As a customer, I want to reset my password to regain access."
Acceptance criteria (Given-When-Then):
- Given a registered email, when I request reset, then I receive an email with a one-time link valid for 30 minutes.
- Given an expired token, when I open the link, then I see an expiration message and can request a new link.
- Given a successful reset, when I login, then the old password no longer works.
Non-functional: Reset email is sent within 60 seconds for 95% of requests.
How to structure a validation session
Step 1 — Agenda (45–60 min)
- 5 min — Objectives, scope, decision rule
- 30–40 min — Walkthrough by requirement ID
- 10 min — Resolve conflicts or assign follow-ups
- 5 min — Confirm decisions, actions, sign-off plan
Step 2 — Roles
- Facilitator (BA): timekeeper, clarifier, scribe
- Decision-maker: Product Owner or domain owner
- SMEs: provide facts and constraints
- QA/Engineer: ensure feasibility/testability
Step 3 — Materials
- Requirement list with IDs and status
- Mockups/prototypes or examples
- Glossary and data definitions
- Open issues log
Common mistakes and self-check
Mistake 1: Validating without decision-makers
Risk: Rework and stalled sign-off. Self-check: Is the decision owner invited? If absent, clarify what can be pre-decided and what must wait.
Mistake 2: Ambiguous wording
Risk: Misinterpretation by developers/QA. Self-check: Underline subjective words (easy, fast, intuitive) and replace with measurable criteria.
Mistake 3: Ignoring non-functional requirements
Risk: Performance/security issues late. Self-check: For each feature, ask: performance, availability, security, compliance, usability, analytics.
Mistake 4: No traceability
Risk: Scope creep and low ROI. Self-check: Can you map each requirement to a business goal and test case? If not, refine or remove.
Exercises
Do these to cement the skill. You can compare with the solutions when done.
Exercise 1 — Validate a small set of requirements
Use the checklist above to review three sample requirements:
- "Users can export reports quickly."
- "The system must comply with GDPR."
- "As a manager, I want to view team performance weekly to coach staff."
Deliverables:
- An issues list (ambiguities, missing NFRs, conflicts)
- Rewritten acceptance criteria for each
- Decision log entries (owner, decision, date)
Exercise 2 — Plan a 45-minute validation session
Create a one-page plan including:
- Objective and out-of-scope
- Attendees and roles
- Agenda with timeboxes
- Decision rule and sign-off criteria
- Artifacts to share beforehand
Mini tasks
- Rewrite one vague non-functional requirement into a measurable one.
- Add two Given-When-Then acceptance criteria to any user story you have.
- Create one conflict resolution note using data or a small experiment.
Practical projects
- Pick a feature from your workplace or a mock project. Run a full validation cycle: prep, session, follow-up. Produce a 1–2 page summary pack.
- Build a reusable validation checklist and decision log template. Test it on two different feature types (UI workflow vs. background job).
- Create a traceability view linking goals → requirements → acceptance criteria → test cases.
Who this is for
- Business Analysts and Product Analysts
- Product Owners and UX researchers who run stakeholder reviews
- Engineers/QA stepping into analysis roles
Prerequisites
- Basic elicitation skills (interviews, user stories)
- Familiarity with acceptance criteria and test cases
- Stakeholder mapping fundamentals
Learning path
- Master validation checklists and the NFT Triangle.
- Practice rewriting requirements and acceptance criteria.
- Run a mock validation session with peers.
- Create a personal template for decision logs and sign-off.
- Scale up: include NFRs, data, and compliance in every review.
Next steps
- Apply these steps to your current project immediately.
- Take the quick test below to confirm understanding.
- Iterate on your checklist after each real session.